ABDELMADJID TEBBOUNE

Italy and Algeria moved to expand their ties through a series of signed agreements during a two-day visit by Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, who called Algeria Italy’s “most stable, strategic and long-standing’’ partner in the region.

Leaders have concluded a two-day summit of the Arab League in Algeria.

As a new academic year starts in Algeria, third graders can expect to learn English, as well as French, as a foreign language.

European leaders have ramped up their push to secure alternative energy supplies as fears escalate of a complete natural gas cutoff by Russia.

Italian Premier Mario Draghi has secured a deal for more natural gas across a Mediterranean pipeline from Algeria.

Algerians are voting Saturday to elect their mayors and regional leaders amid widespread worry and frustration over rising prices for basic goods.

Algeria’s leader has declared a three-day period of mourning for former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, whose 20-year-long rule ended in disgrace as he was pushed from power amid huge street protests when he decided to seek a new term.

The death toll in fires ravaging mountain forests and villages in Algeria’s Berber region climbed on Wednesday to 65, including 28 soldiers.

A moderate Islamist party has claimed victory Sunday in Algeria’s legislative election even though results were not expected for several more days.

Algerians voted for a new parliament in an election with a majority of novice independent candidates running under new rules meant to erase political corruption and open the way to a “new Algeria.”.

The leader of a movement seeking independence from Morocco who is at the center of a diplomatic row between Rabat and Madrid has flown out of Spain to Algeria.

Candidates hopeful of winning one of the 407 seats in the Algerian parliament have kicked off campaigning for legislative elections in June under a new system meant to weed out corruption and open voter rolls.

FILE - In this Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019 file photo, Algerian president Abdelmadjid Tebboune delivers a speech during an inauguration ceremony in the presidential palace, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Toufik Doudou, File)ALGIERS – Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said Tuesday that he was back in his country but still recovering from COVID-19 after two months away. After nearly two months out of the public eye, the 75-year-old president reappeared in mid-December in a video message, saying it might be several weeks before he was fit enough to return to Algeria. “Being far away from the country is difficult,” he said in the video aired Tuesday. Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad has been in charge during Tebboune’s absence as the country struggles with an economy worsened by the coronavirus pandemic and other issues.

(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan has set a goal to vaccinate 60% of its population with a COVID-19 vaccine, or 15 million people, a health official said Tuesday. Many other governors are waiting for health care workers, patients and emergency responders first. However, the actual numbers of COVID-19 cases, like elsewhere in the world, are thought to be far higher, in part due to limited testing. The officials spoke Monday at a George Washington University Hospital event Monday to launch the vaccination of health care workers in the nation’s capital. Andrew Cuomo called the first shot given in the state’s campaign to vaccinate front line health care workers.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune fell ill and then left for treatment in Germany in late October. Before his 4-minute, 54-second video on Sunday, his last public appearance had been in mid-October, meeting France's foreign minister when he visited the former French colony. The 75-year-old Tebboune spoke clearly in the video and did not appear short of breath even after long phrases. “I will fully recover my physical strength in perhaps one, two or three weeks,” he said. Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad has been in charge during Tebboune’s absence as the country struggles with an economy made worse by the coronavirus and other issues.

(AP Photo/Morry Gash, Pool)LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County has again broken a record for coronavirus hospitalizations, fulfilling the county public health director’s dire predictions in just days. Figures released Sunday afternoon show that more than 4,000 people were hospitalized for COVID-19 in the nation’s most populous county. The LA County health director warned on Monday, when hospitalizations were near 3,000, that the county could see the statistic to climb to 4,000 within two weeks. That’s when FDA advisers will review the agency’s independent assessment of data supplied by Moderna about its coronavirus vaccine. ___SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The U.S. has reached a record 3,309 daily coronavirus deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

ALGIERS – Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune marks a year in office Saturday but he is nowhere in sight since his evacuation to Germany more than six weeks ago for treatment of COVID-19. “I sincerely expected him to give us a surprise by returning home today for the first anniversary of his election. Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad has been in charge during Tebboune’s absence, conspicuous as the country struggles with an economy made worse by the coronavirus and a host of other issues. Constitutional law professor Fatiha Benabou said there is no date limiting the time Tebboune can be away. “But on a political level, the absence of the president, who embodies the essential powers, is obviously a problem."

ALGIERS – Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has finished his treatment for COVID-19 in an undisclosed location in Germany, and is undergoing medical tests, his office said Sunday. Amid growing concern in Algeria about the 74-year-old president’s health, his office issued a statement Sunday saying: “The medical team accompanying him confirms that the president has completed the recommended treatment protocol after having contracted COVID-19, and is currently undergoing medical tests.”The statement didn't provide details about his condition or his location, or indicate when Tebboune might return to Algeria. Tebboune was sent to an Algerian military hospital last month and then transferred to Germany in a special medical plane on Oct. 28. His office initially didn't explain the reason for the move, but confirmed a week later that he had the virus. Algeria has reported 2,139 virus-related deaths and more than 66,000 infections.

ALGIERS – Algeria’s secretive presidency confirmed Wednesday that the mysterious illness that caused President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to be hospitalized in Germany last month was the coronavirus. The presidency said that the state of 74-year-old Tebboune’s health is “gradually improving” and he “continues to receive treatment in a specialized German hospital after contracting COVID-19.”It was the first time that officials explicitly mentioned COVID-19 in connection with the Oct. 28 hospitalization. They previously referred to it as being “care in a specialized structure,” without identifying the ailment. Prior to his hospitalization, several senior officials in the president’s entourage had developed COVID-19 symptoms, and Tebboune had been placed in what the government called “voluntary preventive confinement.” But it was initially unclear if Tebboune’s current state was connected.